1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of measuring devices, and more particularly to a food measuring vessel with a digital weighing and/or measuring device incorporated into the vessel.
2. Description of the Related Art
The measuring cup is an essential tool found in almost every kitchen. Traditional measuring cups have indicia marked upon the measuring cup wall in a manner that sometimes makes the indicia difficult to read. Whether the indicia can be read easily depends upon the lighting of the kitchen, the size and color of the indicia, the materials of which the measuring cup is made and the physical condition of the user. In order to read the volume of the contents of a measuring cup, a user must peer over the upper edge of the measuring cup, or through a transparent or translucent wall thereof, to view the top level of the contents. The user must also stoop to the measuring cup's level, if the cup is on a counter or table, or lift the measuring cup to eye level. Most of the measuring cups on the market have markings (volume indicia) that are difficult to read. Even with 20/20 vision, it can be a challenge for a user to determine the measurement of the contents.
Moreover, this method of reading the volume of contents inside the measuring cup may be very difficult for users with bad knees, a bad back or arthritis. For example, such people may have substantial difficulty stooping over to read the volume of contents in a measuring cup placed on a level surface, and may also have similar difficulty lifting a measuring cup to eye level. Lifting a measuring cup requires the dexterity to grip the cup and the strength and stability to hold the cup still and level in order to read the volume of contents held therein. An unsteady hand may spill contents or drop the measuring cup when attempting to lift and hold the cup at eye level.
In addition to measuring the volume of a material, a user may need to measure the mass (weight) of the material or an ingredient. The user may not be able to find a scale to measure the weight of the cup and its contents. Even if the user finds a scale, in order to obtain the weight of the contents alone, the user must obtain the combined weight of the cup and its contents and then subtract the weight of the empty cup. If the user forgets to measure the weight of the empty measuring cup before putting the contents into the cup, the user must pour out the contents to obtain the weight of the measuring cup. The user also faces more cleanup after using the scale.
In summary, the inability to decipher or read the volume markings and the additional trouble of measuring the desired weight hinder workflow, promote inaccurate measurements, and negatively impact the cooking experience. It is an object of the present invention to take the guesswork, physical constraints, and extra cleaning out of the measuring step of food preparation. The object of the present invention is to provide a measuring device having the capabilities of several kitchen tools in a wet and messy food preparation environment that has little effect on the device's function.